them inore meet for their heavenly inheritance, and qualifying them for the enjoyment of a more exceeding weight of glory. So that, in the words of the Apostle, we may say, "All things are their's; whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are their's for they are Christ's, and Christ is God's."c

There are two purposes for which I would shortly apply this subject.

While

1. Let those who are not yet "called according to God's purpose," be stirred up to seek an interest in the glorious privilege of which we have been speaking. You have seen, my friends, the happiness of being the Lord's people. You cannot but allow, that blessed is the state of those, to whom all things are working together for good. But is this your case? Are you thus blessed? Alas! far otherwise. you continue ungodly, your state is the very reverse of that which has been described. While you love not God, all things are working together for evil to you. The gifts of Providence, which you abuse or waste, by increasing your accountableness, are increasing your guilt. Prosperity hardens your heart, and by furnishing you with the means of gratifying your fleshly lusts, proves a snare and destruction to your soul. Adversity makes you impatient, leads you to vent your unhumbled feelings in murmuring and blasphemy, and thus brings into action the hidden wickedness of the heart. In short, every event which befalls you, tends in some way or other, to treasure up for you wrath against the day of

c 1 Cor. iii, 21, 22, 23.

wrath; while every hour which comes, brings nearer that dreadful moment, when the evil, which now pursues impenitent sinners, will for ever overwhelm them. Consider then these things, while yet there is time. Listen to the call of the Gospel. Be obedient to it. Open your heart to receive it. Pray, that the Holy Spirit may powerfully constrain you to repent and turm to God, and to bring forth fruits meet for repentance. Pray that "Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." "So iniquity shall not be your ruin." So shall you become the Called, the Chosen of God. be within you; and all things shall work together for your great and everlasting good.

His love shall

2. Let those, who already hope that they are the Lord's people, be stirred up to make a practical and profitable use of the truth before us. "All things are working together for your good :" for the good of your soul; that best, that most valuable part of you. Let this thought reconcile you to all the events which may befall you. However seemingly adverse and unfavourable, they are yet those, which your heavenly Father, in his love and wisdom sees to be best for you. Are your wishes disappointed? Are your plans crossed? Are your hopes delayed? Be assured that disappointments, crosses, and delays are necessary for you. Are you in heaviness through manifold temptations? Remember, that there is a need for these things, and that the Lord knows what that need is. He says unto you as he said unto Peter, “What I do thou knowest not now: but thou shalt know hereafter." At present you may not always understand his dealings

with you; nor see at first, the particular good, which every trial is intended to produce. Nor is there any reason that you should see or understand these things

now.

Recollect, that you are walking, "not by sight, but by faith." It is enough for you now to know, that all things are working together for your good. Strive to obtain an inward witness to this truth, by growing in grace, and drawing good out of every event. Strive to convince others of it, by letting your profiting appear unto all men; by letting them see, that whether things are going well or ill with you in this world, you are still daily becoming fitter for a better world; still growing more meet for partaking of the inheritance of the saints in light.

SERMON X.

MOTIVES TO DILIGENCE AND EARNESTNESS IN

RELIGION.

HEBREWS, IV. 11.

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest.

ST. PAUL, in this part of his Epistle, in order

to stir up the Hebrews to greater diligence and earnestness in their religious concerns, reminds them of what had befallen their Fathers in the wilderness. Through unbelief and disobedience, they had lost the

inheritance, which God had provided for them, and had provoked Him to swear in his wrath, that they should never enter into his rest. Let their children take warning by the remembrance of these things, and not fall after the same example of unbelief. God had provided for them, a better inheritance. Through the gospel, he had revealed to them a heavenly Canaan, an eternal rest, prepared and kept in store, for all those, who by patient continuance in well doing, look for glory and honour and immortality. "Having then a promise of entering into this rest, let them not seem to come short of it." On the contrary, adds the apostle in the text, "let us labour to enter into that rest." Let us spare no pains, let us neglect no means, which may secure to us an interest in this glorious promise.

Such is the meaning of the exhortation in the text. From this view of it, we see that it belongs to us, as well as to the Hebrews. We are called upon as strongly as they were, to "labour to enter into that rest," which "remaineth for the people of God." The same considerations, which should have weighed with them, ought to weigh with us. These may be regarded as. chiefly two :

I. That without labouring we can never enter into heavenly rest.

II. That this rest, when we shall have entered into

it, will abundantly repay us for all our labour.

These two considerations I shall now endeavour to

explain and enforce.

The Lord grant that we may so

feel the weight of them on our hearts, as to be persuaded to comply with the exhortation in the text!

1. I am to shew, that without labouring, we can never enter into the heavenly rest.

Man is not sent into this world to be idle. He is required and forced to labour. According to the sentence denounced on him after the fall; "In the sweat of his face he must eat bread."a Such indeed, is the present state and constitution of things, that without labour nothing useful. or excellent, can be attained. Without labour, we cannot acquire the comforts and conveniences of life. Without labour, we cannot arrive at distinction and pre-eminence. But while such is the case with respect to this present world, can we suppose that labour is unnecessary, with respect to the world to come? Can we suppose that spiritual life is to be maintained without labour; or that heavenly rewards are to be procured without it? While the honour, which cometh from man, is the fruit of much toil and industry; is the honour, which cometh from God, to be obtained without these things? Far otherwise is the doctrine of the scriptures. They teach us, that heaven will be the reward of vigorous exertion, and of patient perseverance. They direct us to "work out our salvation, with fear and trembling;" to "labour for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life;" to give diligence, to make our calling and election sure;' "strive to enter in at the straight gate." They compare a life of religion to a warfare, and a race, bidding us, to "fight the good fight of faith;" to

a Genesis, iii. 19.